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The country's previous leader has been given a death sentence for atrocities due to her crackdown on student-led protests which caused her ousting.

Hasina was declared culpable of allowing lethal force to be used against protesters, with approximately 1,400 individuals died during the turmoil during 2024.

The trial proceeded without her presence by the special international tribunal in Bangladesh, having been exiled in India after being removed from office in July 2024.

Prosecutors accused her of being responsible for numerous deaths during the protests. Hasina has denied all charges, labeling the proceedings as "unfair and agenda-driven".

The verdict marks a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, as the protests revealed fury over long-standing suppression. Families of those killed and harmed had requested tough penalties.

Answering the judgment in a comprehensive declaration, Hasina said the death penalty was the interim government's way of "nullifying [her party] the Awami League" as a political force and that she was content of her leadership's history on civil liberties.

"I do not fear to face my accusers in a just legal forum where the proof can be evaluated and tested fairly."

The nation's capital, Dhaka, where the tribunal took place, was under enhanced protection before the ruling on Monday, with numerous opponents of Hasina staging a rally and celebrating as the judgment was announced.

The city has seen a sudden increase in turmoil, with dozens of bombs exploded and coaches ignited in the time before the verdict.

One explosive incident was reported in Dhaka on Monday morning, with no casualties reported, area law enforcement officer the police spokesperson told press agencies.

The youth-driven revolt last year started with requests to remove government job quotas but evolved into a more extensive dissent initiative.

International human rights monitors said in a report in February that the around 1,400 fatalities could amount to "crimes against humanity".

The report documented the shooting at point-blank range of some protesters, the deliberate maiming of further participants, unjustified apprehensions and abuse.

Unauthorized recordings of a call made by the former leader verified by external reviews in previous months indicated she had approved the use of "lethal weapons" in July 2024. The recording was presented in court during the legal process.

Before the decision, family members of those killed during the protests informed media representatives they wanted Hasina to be punished severely.

Ramjan Ali, whose sibling was killed in July 2024, said he wanted "severe penalty" for her and co-accused who have "engaged in retaliatory actions and exploited their positions".

Lucky Akther, whose husband was killed near Dhaka in August 2024, said she wanted Hasina's sentence to be "carried out before the election".

"Only then the relatives of the deceased [in the protests] will obtain solace in their minds."

After her departure, an interim government under the guidance of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken charge. A parliamentary election is scheduled for February 2026.

Nonetheless, the Hasina's political party, the former ruling party, was banned by Bangladesh's caretaker administration in May.

The former leader cautioned last month that if the the League's representatives were barred from participating in the forthcoming vote, countless would abstain the election.

The verdict now poses a international dilemma for both nations. Authorities have sought her extradition but until now India has expressed no readiness to agree.

The legal representative assigned to her the defense lawyer said he was "sad [and wishes] the decision had been otherwise".

"I even cannot appeal because my represented individuals are away; for that reason I am disappointed," he stated further.

Recently, Hasina's lawyers said they had lodged a prompt application to the UN pointing out major judicial fairness and legal procedure concerns at the ICT.

Hasina was tried together with her ex-interior minister and security forces head.

Although the punishment grants partial finality to kin of victims in the protests, it may have minimal effect on calming the state's ideological splits.

"The fury directed at Hasina and the Awami League has not decreased," a Dhaka-based rights activist told press agencies. "The leader and her faction has apologised or shown any remorse for the deaths of numerous individuals."

The activist stated "It makes it difficult for the faction to gain approval by a majority of people in this nation."

The advocate continued that the punishment was not resolution for the families of those killed and injured.

"We support numerous persons who underwent irreversible limb loss, they are amputees now, because of the suppression. They are incapable of excusing her."

An analyst, a journalist and a long-time Bangladesh watcher, said the "fundamental aspect of the condemnation could make it particularly hard" for her party to become a regular participant of the nation's political landscape again.

This might transform if "there is some kind of apology and a disassociation with the former leader and the previous administration," he stated.